You'll Never Know Me
by Devil's Harmonica
Summary: As Lisa goes through her freshman year, she discovers many parts of herself that she had no idea even existed. Complete with bullies, jealousy, romance and conspiracies!
1. Chapter 1: A Scathed Slate

**Okay, I've been meaning to start a Simpsons fic, so this is what I've worked on the past few days. It's probably crap(and probably chock-full with grammatical errors), but it's my first fanfic so cut me some slack okay?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Simpsons blah blah blah and all that jazz.**

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You'll Never Know Me 

**Chapter 1: A Scathed Slate**

Some people say that the first day of high school is the first day of the rest of your life. Not me. I say that the day _before _high school is your last day of

living, period. So you can imagine the amount of pressure building up inside of me as I packed my stuff in my book-bag. This wasn't like middle school

where you can shrug every bad thing off and forget about it. Starting tomorrow, every action I make reflects upon which college I will attend. And since

Dad makes next to nothing I _have _to receive a full-scholarship. It wasn't passing the classes that bothered me(I _never _had any problems regarding that

subject). What bothered me was how the hell was I supposed to concentrate on studying when my school life is a social dystopia? No doubt there would

be stronger bullying than in Springfield Junior High, and I had no one to defend me, since I lost most contact with two people who I thought were my

friends. Who are these people, you ask? Alex Whitney and Allison Taylor, we've been inseparable since the second grade. Or so I thought, until Alex

started hanging out with the popular crowd and eventually became their leader. That's when the hazing started. First they were mild practical jokes,

such as placing bubble gum in my chair, substituting my lunch with meat, and jamming my locker. Back then I didn't know it was Alex who came up

with these pranks. Then it became clear to me when she started to directly attack me. She and her cronies insulted me, tripped me, placed tarantulas

in my book-bag(don't ask me how they got a hold of them), even making me look like I was cheating on an exam. Exactly _how_ many times did they

watch _Mean Girls_? But that wasn't the worst. What followed was truly the most humiliating experience of my life.

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_A year and a half ago:_

_I had a few spare minutes left before the lunch period ended, so after grabbing what I needed for my next class I went to the library to return my copy of Twelfth Night. Just before I reached the double doors I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned around and saw Cora, one of Alex's friends. She wasn't as mean as the others, but with her wire-framed glasses and perfectly coiffed bun you could tell there was something snooty about her._

_I prepared myself. "Go on, insult me however you'd like. I'm not going to care."_

_Her face broke into a smile."Do you honestly think that we **all **hate you? The others are the only ones who have a problem, but I don't think you're that bad."_

"_How do I know you're not just pretending to be my friend to embarrass me?" I snapped, not believing one word that came out of her mouth._

"_Get your eyes checked Lisa. Have you seen me once in Alex's pack of followers?" she countered._

"_Well, I uhhh...not exactly but I'm sure that..." _

_She had a point. I've seen them talk sure, but I don't think Cora had ever partaken in hazing me. Maybe I could trust her after all._

_I sighed. "Well, wouldn't Alex be mad if she found out you were hanging out with a loser like me? I can imagine that even popular girls are insecure when it comes to their reputation."_

_She chuckled. "Oh, we won't have a problem with **that**. Anyways you know that guy you like?"_

"_Theo? What about him?"_

"_Well, I was talking to him in English, and by the looks of it, he's pretty into you."_

_My heart was pounding. Surely Cora didn't say what I thought she said. Or did she?_

"_Really? What were his exact words? You have to tell me!" I asked, hungry for more info on my almost life-consuming crush since the second grade._

_Cora looked away for a moment before saying, "How about you ask him yourself? He's right over there." she raised her eyebrows to show that Theo was using the drinking fountain across the hall. Of course I hesitated. I don't even remember having an actual conversation with Theo, apart from the time I got dropped off by Krusty at the wrong school and ended up meeting him for the first time in West Springfield Elementary. Does he even remember my name?_

_Cora sensed I was nervous. "Don't worry. If you screw up, I'll come up with an excuse to bail you out. Not that you'll need it.", she added. I wasn't entirely convinced, but I had to try. I took a deep breath and slowly walked up to him. Theo lifted his head from the fountain and our eyes met. He looked almost exactly as I remembered, the same soft blue eyes, tinted glasses, and gold, lustrous locks. Except, he was more irresistible than ever. _

_He simply stared at me, smiling as if he suddenly remembered a cheerful memory. Then he said;_

"_Hi, Lisa. How nice to see you."_

_I nearly died of joy. Not only did he remember me, but he was happy to see me as well! _

_ Intuition was beckoning me. His sky-blue eyes glimmered as if they were begging me to do it. I decided to take the plunge. I reached out and tenderly kissed him on the lips._

_Instead of kissing me back, however, he stood bewildered, not the reaction I was hoping for. _

_Finally he said, "Lisa, I..."_

_Before he could finish, I felt a dark presence looming over me. It was Alex, her eyes cold and cruel, yet shone with pride. As if a plan had fallen into place._

"_Wow Lisa, could you be any more of an idiot? I always thought you were an awkward loser, but I was wrong. Apparently, you had the guts to lip-lock with **my **boyfriend!" she shrieked, drawing more and more people to the hallway, all whispering amongst themselves, "What was she thinking? Doesn't she know by now what happens when you cross paths with Alex?"_

_I didn't care what they said. What shocked me was that Theo was dating that bitch from hell. There was no way he would stoop that low._

"_Don't even try making up excuses. Everyone knows we've been going out for at least a month. You just couldn't wait to get your grubby little hands on him didn't you?" she sneered._

_I quickly glanced at Theo, hoping for some sort of sign, that Alex is just lying to crush my spirits. He shook his head, revealing only the ugly truth._

"_I'm sorry.", he said. "I would've told you but...it happened too quickly for me to act rationally."_

_A myriad of gasps followed. The snickering grew louder as curiosity arose, the climax eagerly awaited._

_I tried to reason. "Alex, if I had known that I wouldn't have..." suddenly she shoved me, and I found myself lying flat on the ground._

_No one breathed a word, except Alex, who turned to eye the bystanders._

"_Go. There's nothing to see here.", she coldly remarked. Just then, the bell rang. The crowd of students picked up their books and rushed off to class as I lay there mortified._

_As soon as she faced me I could feel her eyes nearly burning my retinas. She took hold of my face and said in the lowest, most ominous tone I've ever heard her use._

"_I think it's time you learned your place once and for all."_

_She walked away, but not without shooting me one last spiteful glare._

_That's when I realized._

_She truly loathed me._

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The hazing seemed to die down after that. What grew was Alex's hatred . Even today I'm not sure whether she was mad because I kissed him or she was just faking it to torture my heart . Whatever it was, she's certainly not going to let me forget about it.

All this drama makes me wish I still had Allison by my side, but she had joined the League of Achieving Prodigies, the Springfield organization of middle and high school students with incredibly high IQ's, with a division in each district. I thought I was a shoe-in considering I scored a 178 on the entrance exam back in seventh grade. Then I found out you have to score 190 _at the least _to qualify for membership, and even then you were carefully evaluated to determine your strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. I was shocked when Allison had told me she scored 192. How could that be? Last time I checked her IQ was slightly below mine, 175. But that wasn't what bothered me. The League forbids fraternizing with non-members in public. I hardly see Allison during the school day, let alone talk to her, and when I did see her, she was with _them_. Who do they think they are, looking down on anyone who isn't as intelligent as them? They shot me looks that made _Alex _seem nice, hard to believe isn't it? So basically, the only time Allison and I get to see each other is on weekends and vacation. I only talked to her a few times this summer because she went to the League-sponsored 'knowledge' camp. Ha, I can bet they spend most of their time there sitting around drinking tea while gossiping about all the so-called dumb kids they are surrounded by. To be honest, it doesn't really matter because we still see each other outside of school, so I'm sure there will be plenty of time for us to hang out.

I decided to go to bed a bit earlier than I had planned, even though it was only a quarter after nine. I'm not about to spend all night thinking about Alex or Allison or..._anything _really. Before I tucked myself in, I rummaged through my book-bag to check if I had forgotten anything. Realizing that all was in its place, I switched off my light and closed my eyes, and began to dream of something unattainable for any freshman.

The perfect first day.

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**Okay, I hope that wasn't too much of a monstrosity to read. If I get some good praise/construct criticism, Then I'll try to update when I can.(I'm not making any promises though). But please, R&R if you can, I'd like to know how badly I'm doing. ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2: The Two Sisters

**First off, I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed! Without your encouraging words, I would've probably given up the story after a few days. So thank you very much! ^_^**

**Well, it took over a month but I finally wrote the second chapter! Yeah, I could've done this sooner but I just had too much on my plate(mostly college-wise). I hope this is to your liking!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Simpsons, except my OC.**

You'll Never Know Me

**Chapter 2: The Two Sisters**

I awoke to the sound of blaring cacophony from my alarm clock. **6:00 AM**, the digital red numbers read. I groaned and reached towards the contraption, hitting the snooze button with the little energy I could muster. How I wished I was still dreaming and had all the time in the world before this dreaded morning finally arrived.

I haven't shut my eyes for even five minutes when I heard my mother Marge knocking on my door.

"Lisa honey, if you're still in bed I suggest you get a move on. Your father is in a more ravenous mood than usual, and you certainly don't want to skip breakfast on the first day of school." she sternly said.

I knew there was no use arguing. Besides, stressing on an empty stomach is not a healthy combination.

"Just a sec, I'll be right there." After brushing my teeth and throwing on some jeans and a polo, I headed downstairs to find my father Homer, devouring a stack of chocolate-chip pancakes.

"Hey Dad." I wearily said as I pulled up a chair next to him.

"Huh? I couldn't hear you because I was busy chewing on these thick, juicy, chocolatey waaaaaffffles..." he drooled, absorbed in his delectable euphoria.

"I just said hi." I then looked around and noticed my brother wasn't present. "Say, do you know where Bart is?" I asked Homer. He simply shrugged and continued his quest for stray chocolate chips on the floor. I swear, that man knows no bounds of sanitation.

"Your brother already left. He said he had some sort of 'business' to take care of.", said my mom as she entered the kitchen.

Ugh, I knew what _that _meant. Bart's prime money-making escapade is selling cigarettes to minors, even though he himself is only seventeen. I assumed he was out doing his usual morning rounds, mainly in the sketchy side of town.

"But that's not why I'm worried.", Marge continued. "Lisa, your principal called to tell me the bus on your route broke down, so they're forcing you kids to find another way to get to school. I would drive you myself if your father wasn't still *ahem***, **'fixing' the station wagon."

Homer gasped. "Marge, please!. It'll be done when it's done. But why can't you take my car?"

"Don't you remember? I donated it to your mother's old hippie clan since they needed a new getaway van."

"A getaway van? Why do they need that? They're hippies, not mobsters."

"Oh, _come _on..."

I sighed as they continued to argue back and forth on the subject. This was probably the most intellectual conversation I've heard in this house so far. It's just sad.

After a while, I decided to end the pointless debate. "It's fine, really. The school's not that far, I can ride my bike there."

Marge looked at me with uncertainty. "Hmm...well okay, but be sure to watch out for strangers."

I glanced at my watch and saw that it was **6:41**. I knew it took about fifteen minutes by car, so I grabbed a granola bar from the pantry, hugged both my parents, and unchained my bike. Two minutes later, I was pedaling away to the house of horrors that is high school.

Even in the early morning, Springfield was already bustling with commuters in their cars and residents walking or jogging, on the verge of starting their day. For many, the only thing on their minds was what kind of coffee they were going to buy or the plans that they had with their friends after work or school or whatever it is they spend time doing during the day. For me, and I know this is just teenage angst talking, I was headed to the torture chamber which will take up a huge chunk of my life for the next ten months.

After a good twenty five minutes, I finally reached my destination; Springfield High. It was a typical rectangular brick building, complete with both a soccer and football field, and a small patch of woods behind it(infamously labeled "Stoner's Paradise", no explanation necessary). The school's parking lot seemed to span for miles. How many people go here anyway?

As I stepped through the double doors, I immediately lost myself. Literally, I did _not _know where I was or where I was going. Crowds of students were walking in every direction, and there were a billion(or so it seemed) forks and turns even I, who is considered the Master of Navigation in the Simpson family, could not comprehend. And to make matters worse, I forgot my schedule on my desk, not that it would've helped much, since the paper was just a compilation of letters and numbers all jumbled up together. I _could _ask one of the upperclassmen where the guidance office was, but from the looks on their faces, they didn't exactly have a friendly attitude towards the younger students(they don't call it "Freshman Beat-Down Week" for nothing). I, personally, did _not _want to get slaughtered on my first day of school, so the safest approach would be to consult a fellow freshman, if I managed to find one, that is.

I knew I wouldn't get anywhere by standing in the middle of a hallway, seeing as I was shoved by people telling me to get out of the way(yeah, I was _really _going to be popular this year wasn't I?), I searched for someplace I could get some peace and quiet, for now at least. My spirits lifted when I spotted a restroom around the corner. Perfect, I thought. With plenty of nervous frosh around, no doubt some of them were likely to barge into the ladies room to reapply their makeup or have a quick smoke before classes began.

I tried pulling the handle open, when I realized someone had locked the door. Confused, I checked for any signs that I had come across a bathroom reserved for faculty. If it was, the school must've been more underfunded than I thought, as it was unmarked except for a female silhouette plastered on the door. Assuming it was just locked, I gently knocked on the door to see if a janitor was inside, and a familiar voice answered, "Umm...this restroom's out of order so I suggest you go to another one.", Alex replied.

Well that sounded awfully suspicious! The entire lot of stalls were broken? If so, how did Alex manage to get in? Clearly she was lying, but about what? If she wanted to smoke, she could have easily gone to Stoner's Paradise. I never caught her smoking before, maybe she started over the summer in attempt to be cool?

Whatever it was, I did not have the time to think about it, because all of a sudden the bell rang, and was it loud, it had the potency of six fire alarms all blaring at once. Many students immediately darted off to class, except the ones who had no idea where they were going(namely me) and the ones who didn't give a crap about whether or not they were late. The formerly congested hallway was now as silent as a clinic.

My watch read **7:26**, which meant I had about four minutes before I was officially late for my first day of high school. For a moment I contemplated cutting class and just do my own thing for the day. I mean, why not? I've been here ten minutes and already screwed everything up. After all, I would only be missing the usual first day introductions, what harm was there taking the morning off at least?

I started laughing. A few years ago I would have been appalled at the thought of ever skipping school, even for a few minutes. What a _Bart_-like thing to do! Guess this proves how much people can change. Speaking of Bart, where was he? Still 'working'? He must have more customers than usual if he was this late. Then again, he always arrived ten to even thirty minutes late, so I decided not to worry about him. I had my own problems, such as how was I ever going to get to class?

Suddenly, a door opened, and out walked Alex. I didn't care about my plan to avoid her, I rushed over to her and said, "Look Alex, I know we don't like each other, but I am in dire need of the guidance counselor, and normally I wouldn't bother you but I really do not want to be late so do you think you know where..."

"_Please_, will you just _stop talking_?", she calmly interrupted, but by the looks of her bloodshot eyes and snarling teeth, it was only a matter of time before she exploded with anger.

I took a deep breath. "Alex, I'm only asking you to..."

"What's going on here?"

I froze, fearing the voice belonged to a teacher or worse, the principal. Instead I saw a young woman, possibly a senior, appearing from the presumably off-limits restroom. With her platinum blond hair and piercing green eyes, she could be Alex's sister, save for the tattered leather jacket and knee length biker boots. Alex wouldn't dream of going through a punk chick phase.

Turns out my hunch was correct. "Is this girl giving you trouble sis? Because if you want, I can take care of her.", the strange girl said, clenching both her hands into fists.

Now I normally don't fear bullies, since they're mostly capable of a few witty insults, but this girl looked like she could seriously beat me into a pulp, and her voice, which was deep with a slight hint of femininity, only abated my chance of getting out of here alive. I was, and this did not happen often, truly afraid.

Luckily(or not?), Alex seemed to calm her nerves."No it's fine Lenore. She just wanted to know the directions to the guidance office.", she said, tears dripping down her face. I became concerned, what exactly happened to her? She wasn't her usual vain and arrogant self, therefore she must have went through something, perhaps something deep?

"Are you okay?" I asked."Because if there's something going on I can..."

"_Nothing's _going on!" Lenore snapped. "Look, just go straight, take two lefts, then a right. The counselor's office is the last room on the right."

I slowly started backing up, trying to avoid causing anymore unnecessary outbursts."Oh...well thanks, I guess. I'll just be going now." I said that last part so timidly it practically came out as a whisper. Without another word, I turned and began to run down the hallway, but not before Lenore stopped me one last time and called out, "Oh, and Blondie?"

Who was she calling Blondie? What a hypocrite. Regardless, I glared back and said "What?", a little louder than I intended, almost in a threatening tone.

Lenore simply placed her hands on her hips, giving me a non-verbal "Don't mess with me." message. Finally she said, "If you mention this little run-in to _anyone_, well, let's just say you'll end up under _unmentionable circumstances_.", evilly smirking, proving she was definitely Alex's sister, both in beauty and personality.

The final bell rang, signaling the end of our conversation. We parted ways, Lenore putting her arms around her younger sister and slowly guiding her towards the exit, and me clutching my book-bag and beginning my way to the place where the fate of my high school existence will be assigned. After trying to clear all thoughts of the recent confrontation, my focus shifted to what the rest of the day had in store for me. As I treaded up the stairs, the tension lessened but not my curiosity; what were the Whitney sisters hiding?


	3. Chapter 3: No Reconciliation

**Wow, this took less time than I anticipated. But I had a lot of free time this evening and I figured, why not finish writing this chapter? It would be really nice after I made the readers wait over the month for the last one. I can't believe it's been less than a week! Well, it'll make up for when I post the next chapter over a month later(I hope it won't turn out that way, but you never know). **

**Big thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter! :D**

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**You'll Never Know Me**

**Chapter 3: No Reconciliation**

After an inordinate amount of time with the archaic guidance counselor, whose only pleasures consisted of peeling oranges and reciting pointless anecdotes on how I was taking the first steps on an "enlightening life-changing journey", I was on my way to Room **B117**, where I would partake in the last few minutes of homeroom. From the guidance office I ascended the main staircase, located in the very center of the building, passed two five-way intersections, three hallways aligned with the generic green lockers, and what might have been the library. My mind was swirling with confusion; surely I've walked by this hallway before? Is there more than one auditorium? Is that the vending machine I've spotted twice already? Or is it because so many parts of the campus were eerily similar to one another?

I concluded that the latter seemed the most likely, but fortunately, I managed to arrive at my destination. If what they said about being fashionably late was true, then I was indeed a fashion icon, since I was approximately nineteen minutes late, with only sixty seconds to spare. I silently congratulated myself for my new record, then checked the map I was given to ensure I wasn't in the wrong wing(the school had six in total, all currently in use). I braced myself for the scolding I was sure to receive, then slowly opened the door, careful not to make too much noise.

What could I say, except I knew what to expect, and from what I observed, nothing exceeded said expectations. The room was rather large and contained about twenty students, who were either slouching on their desks, asleep, playing with pencils, or quietly talking amongst themselves. Even the teacher, who was casually reading the latest issue of _People _magazine, was leaning on her desk, eyes half-closed. The grey walls and dim lighting were no help in brightening the atmosphere.

Then the sound of the bell brought them back to reality, reacting as if rudely awakened on a dreary early morning(not unlike the present day). The students forced themselves into a standing position and sluggishly staggered off to class. Only the teacher remained stuck in her own subconscious, which increased my concern for her well-being, primarily the fear of her being ill or worse. Not that I gave a damn about a person who probably held great disdain towards her profession, but I needed to show her I didn't deliberately miss class in order to avoid a trip to the principal's office, if she hadn't informed him already. I reached into my book-bag and tore out a piece of notebook paper. I laid it down on a desk and quickly scribbled an apology on why I was late, carefully placed it on her desk, strode out the door and continued on to **C109**, aka Modern European History.

As usual, fate enjoyed playing games with me because I happened to run into Theo, almost as if I've been pulled by a magnetic force. I was so absorbed in surveying my map I couldn't be bothered with watching where I was walking. Our paths collided as I managed to dodge slamming into the partially-closed door of his locker, hence his face met mine while under a potentially compromising position. I pushed myself off him before we caught the prying eyes of nearby gossips, and in response he brushed what might have been lint off his shoulders. Was I of that little significance to him? Did I deserve to be regarded as some kind of...dirt? He didn't portray even the slightest reaction to the incident! True, I was slightly exaggerating, but Theo certainly had no right to ignore me!

"I think you have something to tell me.", I coolly stated, yet unsure of how I wanted him to reply. Should he apologize? Make a witty comeback? Or perhaps, kiss me? I immediately placed the thought out of my mind, to prevent the motivation for irrationality.

He snorted. "Do you expect me to _apologize _for _your _lack of poise? Women always look for a scapegoat to blame when in reality it's their own fault. Besides, how do I know you weren't looking down on purpose just so you could land in my arms?" For a moment there, he almost sounded serious.

But I knew he was being his usual know-it-all self. "Well, you weren't the only one aware of how close your hands were to slipping below my hips. What would your girlfriend say if she knew you tried to grab my ass behind her back?" I retorted, hoping to end victoriously in our battle of wits.

Suddenly his smirk shifted into a more somber expression. Sighing, he replied, "To be honest, I'm not sure if she cares anymore."

I bursted in laughter. "Really, that's all? Since I expected so much more cunning from a self-proclaimed genius, does this mean I win?" I think I struck a nerve, because he then angrily said, "It's not funny at all! Alex hasn't spoken to me all summer! And even before that she behaved rather elusively. I kept trying to ask her what was wrong but she'd never give me an honest answer, as if she didn't trust me! She's probably seeing someone."

While I agreed it wouldn't be out of character for Alex to cheat on her boyfriend, it didn't seem like that was the case earlier this morning. Perhaps it was before, but her tears showed she was upset about something more hurtful than a heartbreak. "Maybe it has something to do with her sister.", I suggested. "They were doing something in the bathroom just before school started, and when they came out Alex looked very...troubled."

Theo stared at me, puzzled. "What are you talking about? Alex doesn't have a sister."

"No, the question is what are _you _talking about. I clearly saw Lenore Whitney, who by the way called Alex her _sis_, this morning. There's no denying it, she had Alex's emerald eyes."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on Lisa, I think I would know if Alex had a sister."

"What, you think I _hallucinated _the whole thing?"

"Well, you always did have a rampant imagination."

I couldn't believe what nonsense was coming out of his mouth. There was no way I imagined Lenore. If she didn't have such a freakish resemblance to her younger counterpart I might have thought otherwise, but it wasn't just their looks, it was how they..._connected_. The way they talked, how Lenore put her arms around Alex to comfort her. If what I witnessed wasn't a sisterly bond I didn't know what else to consider.

"I guess I made a mistake telling _you _my personal thoughts.", I said, and before he could respond, I stormed off. If I was going to recount my confrontation to anyone else I had to be sure it was someone I could trust, and who would trust me as well.

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When the lunch bell finally rang, I felt a huge weight lifted off my chest. Besides the two major confrontations in less than an hour, the rest of the morning went by without a hitch. The teachers were surprisingly friendly, and I didn't run into anyone I knew from elementary and middle school, so I prayed that my other classes would be just as bearable. For now, I decided to look for Bart. I thought it would be a good idea to catch up and tell him what I told Theo, except I knew Bart would understand me.

Searching the cafeteria was deemed futile, as it was very crowded since all four grades ate there at the same time. I then realized where I could find him; I ventured to the far end of the parking lot and found him with Milhouse, leaning on a wall while casually taking puffs of their cigarettes.

"Oh hey Lise." he said, indifferent to my presence. Even Milhouse seemed apathetic and didn't say anything at all. Either he was trying(and failing) to be cool, or he was concealing his huge crush on me. Guess which one was most likely?

I shrugged it off, remembering why I was here in the first place. "Listen Bart, can I talk to you in private? Please, it's important.", I pleaded. Upon hearing this, Milhouse forlornly lowered his head.

"Oh it's about me isn't it?" The way he said it sounded extremely threatening and accusing, yet with some glimmer of hope."Uh, no. I just wanted to talk about-", I started.

"Oh spare me the details, Lisa! If you don't like me just say so!"

"I _have _told you! Many times, in fact! But you're always in such tremendous denial to listen!"

He threw his cigarette to the ground, stomped on it, and abruptly left, like a small child who just threw a tantrum. I didn't mean to lose my temper but I had enough of his crap, especially when I had other concerns on my mind. Bart meanwhile, simply watched the whole thing, amused by his friend's tactics.

Finally, he said, "Well, you wanted to talk didn't you?"

I took a deep breath, trying to find the proper words to begin. "I'm concerned about a..._friend_." I paused. Did I imply that Alex was my friend? But I felt enemy was a rather harsh word, so I just continued speaking. "Actually, we're not very close. You might even say we have slight dislikes for one another. Yet, I feel compelled to help her after seeing her this morning crying."

Bart raised an eyebrow. To him, I made no sense whatsoever. "Who's your _friend_?", he casually asked.

I groaned. "Does it really matter?" I wasn't in the mood to elaborate.

"It's Alex isn't it?"

How could he have known that? Well, maybe it was the fact that besides her, I didn't have much 'frenemies'. "Yeah, okay.", I admitted. "It's Alex. Normally I wouldn't care but when I saw her, it seemed like she desperately needed help. I asked her if everything was okay, but her sister interfered and told me to leave. And when I talked to Theo about it, he said Alex _had _no sister! I'm not sure what to do."

He scoffed. "Are you serious? You went to Lover Boy first? That guy doesn't know what he's talking about. Just talk to Alex alone. Put enough pressure on her and she'll spill." He rolled his eyes as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

"You're crazy right? She hates me! Even if I did want to talk to her I couldn't. Her sister said she'd do something to me, she didn't say what but I knew it would be terrible, if I told anyone about running into them."

Bart started to chuckle. "Oh Lisa. When will you ever learn?" The way he spoke those words. Almost like he _meant _to phrase them in a rhetorical question. "Haven't you realized that by now, since you've already told me and Theo what happened, you are _already _in danger of getting pummeled by Alex's sister? Look, I'm tired of attempting to be helpful when you are too stupid to see for yourself what you should do. She's right over there. All you have to do is get her alone, earn her trust, then she'll come clean." He gestured towards a group of girls sitting on top of a car, with Alex right beside them. As much as I hated to admit it, Bart was the smart one in the current situation. And since Lenore wasn't around, it was the perfect chance.

I turned towards Bart, who seemed to be waiting for an epiphany, but I knew what he wanted to hear. "You're right. A lot of things will clear up once we've discussed them face to face. Lenore wouldn't have to know."

At the mention of her name, Bart slightly blushed."Maybe it's not such a good idea to talk to her after all. You don't know what her sister might be capable of doing."

I was taken aback by this statement; he finally persuaded me to talk to Alex only to become hesitant a few moments later? Did he know something else?

"Why the sudden change of heart?" I asked, using my best impression of a detective to expose the knowledge he possibly contained. "You said it yourself that my chance of getting beat up has gotten higher. I think you've changed your mind a little too fast. Rather abruptly, if I say so myself."

But Bart remained adamant in keeping whatever secret he had hidden. He buried his hands in his pockets and said, "I'm just looking out for you, like any older brother would. But if you insist on going through with this, then by all means. I won't stop you. Just know that what you're getting into isn't pretty."

I wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that last remark, but I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to talk to Alex before the period ended. I didn't bother saying goodbye since I said and heard all I needed to hear, and casually approached the menacing clique. They were too concerned with discussing makeup and boys to notice me obliviously waiting for some form of recognition. It took a good few minutes before Cora initiated a mockery of me. "Well if it isn't Little Lisa, all dolled up and nowhere to go."

I ignored her comment, seeing as how it didn't make much sense to begin with. "I'll make this short and to the point. Alex, I need to talk to you. Now."

She let out a loud sigh, as if she was a mother looking down at her unruly child. "And what if I was to refuse?"she asked. What surprised me was how non-threatening she sounded. Instead she looked uncomfortable, her eyes pleading me to understand and just leave her alone. Well I wasn't backing out just yet.

"It won't be for long. Actually, right now is not the best time. Let's say, four o'clock at the San Paolo Café? I promise, just hear me out and if you still resist my efforts, I'll never cross paths with you again." I lied while simultaneously trying to sound sincere.

After a drawn out contemplation, I received an answer.

"Fine. I'll be there."

Without further ado, I exited the scene, ignoring the dirty look Cora shot at me. What did that girl have against me anyway? The others are usually apathetic towards me but she seemed to harbor the kind of animosity even Alex did not possess. Well it didn't matter, for now at least. Whatever outcome occurs, something big was in store for me this afternoon. Perhaps she'll invent a cover up, but there was a chance that the truth will be revealed, and when her secret disappears, a friendship might resurface and claim its place.

* * *

**Well I think there was an excessive amount of dialogue in the second half but overall I am satisfied. Also, I'm happy that it's slightly longer than usual. Don't worry, as the story progresses the chapters will become lengthier.**

**Please review if you can, because construct criticism is greatly appreciated! I'd like to know how to improve my writing so that you, the reader, can find the story more enjoyable. And if you have suggestions/questions/predictions, feel free to say so!**

**Anyway thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all very soon. ^_^**


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